For years I’ve been accused of sending out bizarre snail mail- often photocopied, cut and pasted, taped together. Sometimes it has my return address, sometimes it has someone else’s- and I would get it, too.

I’ve had letters written back to me from Mayor McLin, Maureen Pero- thanking me curtly for my “notes”- for a long time, it severely damaged my reputation. I wrote about it on the site to let people know it wasn’t from me back in January of 2007, but the mail had been going out for years. In September of 2007 I posted offering a reward- and included a profile of the person-

• Male, Age 55-65
• Lives in Oakwood now.
• Comes from money (or has it now)
• Gets the NYT on Sunday.
• Has some reason to travel to Oregon (some clippings from the Oregonian).
• Went to Fairview High School
• Gets the Dayton Jewish Observer, but may not be Jewish.
• Has been to Australia.
• Does business in Cincinnati (or travels there frequently)
• Makes the rounds of the better restaurants (Carver’s, Pine Club, Oakwood Club, Madison’s)
• Has a photo copier
• Has juvenile handwriting

I’d called the postal inspectors, the Dayton Police Department and the Oakwood Police Department. No help. I’d talked to the F.B.I. – no help. I got an anonymous tip one day pointing out someone – but the lead didn’t seem to pan out. About three months ago, someone with more juice than me got the police department interested and the word is that they brought someone in on Monday. He admitted he was behind the mail- and said he’d stop.

The person fits my profile pretty well- and some of you may know him:

As a teenager, Sidney Schultz had no intention of staying in Dayton and running the family business. The plan was to become an English professor.

Yet here he is, closing down General Surplus Outfitters later this month after 60 years in business downtown at Third and Patterson.

via News summary | Dayton Daily News.

While I’m relieved that this nutcase has been caught, it doesn’t undo the years of damage he’s done to my reputation. The next question is if the prosecutor will press charges, or if it will be up to those of us who’ve been disparaged.

I hope to get the full details from the Dayton Police tomorrow.

And, if any lawyer is interested in taking this case, please let me know. Payback is going to be expensive for Mr. Schultz.